On November 2, 1937, the Canadiens posthumously retire the No. 7 in honor of Howie Morenz. He becomes the first player in franchise history to be honored by the club in such a way.

The NHL’s first bona fide superstar, after suffering a severe leg injury against the Blackhawks in January, complications from the injury would lead to Morenz’s untimely death on March 8. His passing was mourned at the Forum, where his body laid in state at center ice as thousands of fans paid their final respects to the fallen legend.

Over his 11 seasons with the Canadiens, Morenz led the team to three Stanley Cup Championships, scoring the Cup-clinching goal on two occasions. He captured the Hart Trophy, as the NHL’s MVP, three times during his career. Morenz also led the team in scoring for seven straight seasons, from 1926 to 1932 and led the league in scoring in 19927-28 and 1930-31. In 1950, he was voted the greatest hockey player during the first half of the century by the National Press.